If Time and Outer Space Divide Us
by Chelsea Matter
Summary: An AU take on the ending of "Catch the Tail by the Tiger." With no word from Uncle Traveling Matt, Gobo prepares to leave Fraggle Rock, much to Red's dismay.
1. Chapter 1

**This story begins right after Gobo leaves the Great Hall at the end of the episode "Catch the Tail by the Tiger." All rights to the characters of Fraggle Rock belong to the Jim Henson Company; the episode this is based on was written by David Young.**

* * *

**If Time and Outer Space Divide Us**

Chapter One

Gobo regretfully turned and started down the tunnel towards Outer Space. _I'm so scared_, he thought to himself. _And now that all my friends know I'm scared, they'll be even more worried about me. Oh, if only Uncle Matt would send me a postcard; I could avoid this whole thing._

Unfortunately, when Gobo peeked out the hole in the wall, he saw no telltale corner poking out of the wastebasket. He would have to journey into Outer Space to find his uncle Matt completely alone.

Gobo retreated and sighed. What was he getting himself into?

* * *

After Gobo left, Wembley gave Red Gobo's parting gift: a prize for honorable mention in a pie-eating contest. Red stared at the sash. _Gobo gave me his only prize. I can't believe he would give _me _something so special. I wonder why he couldn't give it to me himself? _She stared off in the direction Gobo had headed.

As soon as Wembley, Boober, and Mokey had left the Great Hall, Red quickly scampered down the tunnel. If she hurried, she could catch Gobo before he left. She had some questions to ask him.

* * *

Gobo took a deep breath, trying to calm his jumpy nerves. _Boy, if Red saw me now, she'd tell me I was being a big baby. _He smiled a little. Red was his biggest rival, but she was a great friend, too. Sometimes Gobo thought he might have what the older Fraggles called a "crush" on Red, but he wasn't sure. He thought she was pretty, fun, and exciting, though he was confident that she didn't admire him in the same way. Red was too much of a tomboy to think about him like that.

As if she had been summoned, Red suddenly came barreling down the tunnel towards him.

"Red!" Gobo exclaimed, pleased and a little confused at her presence. "What are you doing here? I was just about to head out to find Uncle Matt."

Despite being out of breath, Red immediately asked, "Why did you give me your pie-eating prize, Gobo? And why did you have Wembley give it to me instead of doing it yourself?" She looked straight into his eyes, unaware that he could detect a hint of fear and, strangely, hopefulness in her own expression.

Gobo felt bashful. "Well, uh, you're always competing with me, so I thought you would like it. You know, since you like to win stuff."

Gobo cringed inwardly as he replayed that comment in his mind. _That sure sounded dumb._ "I gave it to Wembley to give to you, because…" Gobo paused. There was no safe excuse he could give. He had to tell her the truth. "Because it would seem too much like a final goodbye, and I don't want to say goodbye to you, Red."

Red felt her face get hot. _Am I really blushing?_ _Because of something Gobo said? Since when do I get all mushy about Gobo?_ Trying to sound like her usual self, Red responded, "We'll all miss you, Gobo."

"Yeah," he answered, sounding disappointed. He meant to ignore the implications of her statement, but found himself blurting, "But will _you_ miss me?"

As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn't. _Great. Now I've scared her away for sure. She can't stand anything mushy._

Red hesitated. Seeing her reluctance to answer and mistaking it for negation, Gobo said, a little resentfully, "Never mind, it doesn't matter. I'll see you, Red." He moved to prepare for the long dash across the workshop floor.

"Wait!" Red cried, grabbing the back of his jacket and making him face her. "It _does_ matter, Gobo! As a matter of fact, I'll miss you a lot!"

Gobo was pleasantly shocked. The shock only multiplied when Red concluded her outburst with a tight hug. He returned the embrace, momentarily forgetting his anxiety about going into Outer Space and his concern for Uncle Matt.

Eventually, Red pulled back, looking a little embarrassed, but at the same time vaguely triumphant. Gobo sensed her barriers were down and took the opportunity to say, "You could come with me."

Red recoiled in surprise, and shook her head. "I couldn't, Gobo. I mean, I wouldn't mind your company, but I can't leave Fraggle Rock. I'm not meant to be an explorer. My place is here."

"Please, Red?" Gobo practically pleaded. "I feel so much braver when you're with me."

It was true; her constant competition with him always egged him on, just to prove her accusations of fear or inability wrong. But he knew already that she wouldn't change her mind. Red was nothing if not stubborn, and he knew how truly afraid she was of Outer Space. The sorrowful shake of her head confirmed his suspicions.

Gobo heard Doc, the Silly Creature, tell Sprocket, the hairy beast, that they were going to the grocery store. The two departed, leaving the workshop deserted and providing an easy exit for Gobo. He turned once again to Red.

Red knew that Gobo would really leave this time. She tried to remain calm, but something inside of her was making her feel a kind of desperation, as if she would never see Gobo again. Much to Gobo's, and Red's, surprise, she planted a sweet little kiss on his orange cheek.

"Goodbye, Gobo," she said almost wistfully.

Gobo's stomach did a flip when she kissed him. _Oh, how girly_, he thought to himself, but he still was thrilled that she seemed to like him, just as he definitely liked her.

As was always the way with them, Gobo just had to one-up her. Her eyes widened as he leaned forward and gave her a peck right on the lips. "Goodbye, Red."

He promptly turned and ventured out the hole, unwilling to prolong the already emotional parting. If he waited too long, he would lose his nerve completely, and then Uncle Matt would surely get into deep trouble without his help.

As Gobo hopped through Sprocket's doggie door and into true Outer Space, he thought, _I'll be back, Red. And when I return, I'm going to let you know how much I really care about you._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The first week Gobo was gone tested the patience of everyone in Fraggle Rock. Gobo promised he would send a postcard within a couple days, but the Fraggles worried regardless. Mokey moped around, painting listlessly and only half-heartedly scribbling her poems. Wembley was quiet, not even wembling very much. Boober's phobias and neurotic tendencies seemed to intensify: everything scared him, and he compulsively cleaned every surface in the Rock, muttering to himself about germs and pestilence.

The one hit the hardest by Gobo's absence was Red. She had never realized how much of her day was occupied with having races, or playing rock hockey and Tug-a-Tails, or practicing dives with Gobo. Without him, it seemed there wasn't a lot to do.

Even worse than her ennui was her constant reflection on their goodbye. Red could not have been more confused about her feelings for Gobo, or his for her. She knew she liked it when he kissed her, and it hadn't been the first time she kissed him.

_But I can't like Gobo_, she insisted, _it would just be weird. All that lovey-dovey mumbo-jumbo isn't for me. I want to play and have fun, not worry about grown-up stuff like that._

* * *

Every day, Red and Wembley traveled up to the hole in the wall to see if Gobo had sent a postcard yet. After four days of disappointing visits, they arrived on the fifth day to see Doc throw a brightly colored card in the trash, remarking that he couldn't understand who was sending mail to Red Fraggle at his address. "It was bad enough when it was just Gobo Fraggle," he told the beast, who barked sympathetically.

Red and Wembley looked at each other in delight. "Gobo sent a card! And he sent it to you, Red!" Wembley cried jubilantly.

"Shh, Wembley," Red warned. "The Silly Creature might hear you." She got a look of concentration on her face. "All right, I'm going in."

"No, Red!" Wembley whispered urgently. "You can't go into Outer Space; it's dangerous!"

Red sighed impatiently. "Wembley, how do you expect us to get the postcard if neither of us will go out there?"

"Well, uh…" Wembley said, thinking hard for an alternate solution. Realizing Red was right, he finally said, "Okay, Red, but be careful. You haven't had as much practice as Gobo has."

_And hopefully he'll be back before I do_, Red thought as she cautiously tiptoed out into the workshop. Luckily, Sprocket was inspecting Doc's latest invention, a glow-in-the-dark snow cone maker, and didn't notice the little pigtailed Fraggle snatching the postcard out of the wastebasket.

"Red, you were so brave," Wembley told her as she flung herself back through the hole. "Gobo would be proud of you."

"Really?" Red asked, flattered. Then she got a grip on herself. "Never mind that, we've got to show this to the others!"

The two hurried down the tunnel, clutching their prize.

* * *

Red and Wembley reached the Great Hall in record time. "Hey, everyone, come quick!" Red cried. "We've got a postcard from Gobo!"

All the Fraggles surrounded her, Mokey and Boober pushing their way to the front of the pack. "Read it, Red!" they demanded.

Red cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and began to read aloud:

"Dear Fraggles,

Well, I've started on my journey to find my uncle Matt. Outer Space really is a lot like how he described it: Silly Creatures everywhere, lots of shiny creatures that communicate in beeps, and all sorts of other weird things. I don't know where Uncle Matt could be, but I'm looking everywhere. Hopefully I'll find him soon, so I can come back to Fraggle Rock. Outer Space is interesting, but there's no place like home.

Love, Gobo"

Red finished reading aloud, but she noticed there was a postscript written below Gobo's name. It said, "A note to Red." Not wanting to share it with the others, she quickly said, "So that's the message!"

The Fraggles all began discussing it together. Mokey tried to peek at the card, but Red held it close to her. "Red, what's that other writing at the bottom?"

"Oh, nothing," Red stammered. "You know what? I'm going to go put this in a safe place. I'll see you guys later." She practically ran in the direction of her and Mokey's cave.

Her three friends looked after her in astonishment.

"Something's up with Red," Boober commented. "I should consult my book of diseases; she might be contagious."

"Contagious?" Wembley asked, frightened. "I'll come with you."

Mokey, always the observant one, mulled over Red's strange behavior. "It has something to do with Gobo," she decided. "I'll be sure to talk to her later." Feeling a little less worried about Gobo, she trotted off to finish her painting of a thimblebeetle.

* * *

In her room, safe from prying eyes, Red turned her attention to Gobo's card once again. She read to herself:

"A note to Red:

Red, I'm addressing these postcards to you because I figure you're the one who's brave enough to go and get them. I'm counting on you to be the leader while I'm gone; I know you'll do great. Keep being strong and I'll be back soon. I miss you.

Love, Gobo"

Red sighed heavily. _Oh, Gobo,_ she thought, _I miss you, too_.

A single tear dripped down her face, but she wiped it away angrily. "No," she said aloud. "I can't sit around and cry. Gobo wouldn't want that. I'm going to keep being brave until he gets back."

Filled with new resolve, Red slipped the card under her Tug-a-Tails trophy and headed to the Fraggle pond. She felt like going for a swim.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

If the Fraggles thought one week without Gobo was hard, that was nothing compared to several weeks. Everyone gradually returned to his or her normal routine, but there was always the tension of worry in the air. Only Red seemed calm; she happily went to retrieve Gobo's postcards and read them to the others, and then went about her business, seemingly without a care.

Mokey was concerned about Red. She was acting too carefree, like it was all a façade. She also noticed that Red always hastily retreated to their cave after reading a postcard. Mokey decided it was time to find out what was going on with her best friend.

After the next postcard arrived, six weeks after Gobo had left Fraggle Rock, Mokey immediately followed Red to their cave. She found Red sitting on her hammock, reading intently. A little smile played on her features as she mouthed the words. Mokey didn't want to interrupt her, so she watched from the cave's entrance as Red finished reading and hid the card with the others.

Red turned around and let out a startled squeak when she saw Mokey. "Mokey! Why didn't you say something? I had no idea you were here!" Her eyes narrowed as she said, "How long have you been standing there?"

"A few minutes," Mokey replied. "Red, I'm really worried about you. You're being very secretive, and, well, that's not like you."

Red got defensive. "I am not being secretive!" she said indignantly. "It's just that sometimes I need a little alone time, okay?"

Mokey sighed. It would be hard to get Red to confess what was wrong. She tried another tactic. "It's been difficult having Gobo gone for so long," she said conversationally.

Red gave her a wary look, but said nothing. "I wonder when he'll come back. It doesn't seem like he's had much luck finding Uncle Matt. Maybe it was silly for him to have gone in the first place."

That did the trick. Red immediately cried, "It wasn't silly! Gobo had to help his uncle, because he's a good person and he sticks by the Fraggles he loves."

Mokey couldn't help needling Red a little bit. "What other Fraggle does Gobo love? Besides Uncle Matt, I mean?" she asked innocently.

Red realized her mistake. "Oh, you know. He's a leader; he looks out for everyone," she answered lamely. _Oh, rats! Mokey's on to me. _

"I think I know who he loves," Mokey said, feeling a bit daring as she devised a trap for Red in her head.

"Who?" Red asked, trying not to sound too curious.

"Fiona Fraggle," Mokey said decisively, holding back a laugh as she saw Red's horrified face. "Yes, I think they'd make a great pair. Before he left, I saw them talking to each other in the Great Hall. She's got such pretty red hair, and…"

"Red hair!" Red yelled. "I have red hair, too! And Gobo loves me, not Fiona! He told me so in his postcard!" She clamped a hand over her mouth in disbelief. _I can't believe I just told her that!_

"Really?" Mokey breathed. "Oh, how wonderful, Red! Well, no wonder you've been acting so strangely. You're heartsick over Gobo being gone."

"Uh…" Red started, but Mokey cut her off.

"Don't worry, Red. Gobo will be back and the two of you will be reunited in love! Oh, I just thought of a great poem I could write about this! And don't worry, I won't tell anybody." Mokey gave her friend a quick hug and scurried out of the cave to go start writing.

Red groaned. _I didn't get to tell her that Gobo loves me, but I'm not sure if I love him. _She wished he would come back. She wouldn't be so confused if she could talk to him and see him face to face.

Red pulled out his last postcard again and reread his note to her:

"I'm starting to get really sick of being in Outer Space, Red. I have no idea where Uncle Matt could be, and I want to be back home at Fraggle Rock with you. Being apart has given me a lot of time to think, and although I know this will probably freak you out, I have to tell you: I love you, Red. It's okay if you don't feel the same way, even though I wish you would. I hope I see you soon.

Love, Gobo"

Red returned the postcard to its hiding place and flopped face down on the hammock. Why did everything have to be so complicated?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Red was going crazy. It had been two and a half months since Gobo set out on his journey, and he hadn't sent a postcard in a week. Every day she convinced herself, and Wembley, that there would be a postcard when they got to the hole, but there never was.

On the seventh day, Wembley looked at her and said, "Red? What if something happened to him? What if he's hurt, or lost, or…" He trailed off, imagining the worst thing that could have occurred.

Red was trying so hard to be brave for Gobo, but this was the last straw. "Oh, Wembley…" she started to reprimand, but then found herself sitting on the tunnel floor, sobbing.

Wembley was startled. Red, crying? She was always the strong one, the fearless leader while Gobo was away. His tender little heart felt like it was going to break. His best friend was gone, and Red was crying, and there wasn't a postcard. All hope seemed lost.

Wembley sat down next to Red and put his arm around her. "It's okay, Red. I'm sure he's just busy. Gobo wouldn't let anything bad happen."

It was funny how her weakness made him feel stronger. Their friendship had grown stronger as well as they took their daily trips to look for postcards. Red didn't even mind that Wembley was trying to comfort her, although in the past it would have infuriated her. In fact, his sweetness made her feel a little bit better.

After a little while, Red admitted, "I'm scared, Wembley. I don't know what to do; I feel so helpless. I mean, it would be stupid for another one of us to go and look for Gobo, who's already looking for Uncle Traveling Matt. There's nothing we can do."

"We can wish really hard that Gobo and Uncle Matt will come back," Wembley said emphatically. "Maybe if we all wish, it'll come true."

Red laughed quietly. "Wembley, if only that was guaranteed to work, that'd be a great plan." She gave him a little squeeze. "Thanks for trying to reassure me. I guess the only thing we can do is wait."

* * *

"Red!" Wembley screeched the next day. "There's a postcard!"

"What?" Red exclaimed. "Wembley, are you serious?"

They both looked out, and sure enough, Red spied the mail at the top of the wastebasket. Without even looking out for Sprocket, she sprinted across the floor, grabbed not one, but two postcards from the garbage, and zoomed back into the hole.

"Wembley, there's two!" she cried. "One from Gobo…and one from Traveling Matt!"

* * *

Once they were in the Great Hall, the hubbub created by her announcement was nearly deafening. Wembley let loose his fire siren, and they quieted down to hear the postcards.

Red started with Uncle Matt's, simply because he had been out of communication longer:

"Dear Nephew Gobo,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while ("A while?" Red scoffed. "Try three months, Uncle Matt!"), but I've been traveling on what the Silly Creatures call a ship. It floats around on the water and can go for days without stopping by the land. Naturally, there are no mailboxes in the open waters, so I have not been able to reach you. I hope you have not been too worried. Anyway, now that my voyage is done, I am coming home to visit. I should be back shortly after you get this postcard.

Love, Your Uncle Traveling Matt"

"Oh, no!" Boober cried. "Traveling Matt's coming back and we have no way to let Gobo know that he doesn't need to look anymore! He's doomed!"

Red quickly piped up. "Wait, Boober, let's just see what Gobo's postcard says."

In fact, that was a wise thing to do, as his read:

"Dear Fraggles,

Well, I've decided that it's pointless for me to keep looking for my uncle Matt. I love him, but I don't know how I ever thought I'd be able to find him. Outer Space is much too big a place. I'm heading back to Fraggle Rock. I should get there pretty soon, if all goes according to my plans. I'm sorry for any worry I may have caused while I was gone. Just know that I'm safe and I'm coming home.

Love, Gobo"

"Oh, they're both coming home!" Mokey squealed, and all the Fraggles cheered. There was no more depression, just excited anticipation for the return of the bravest explorers from Fraggle Rock.

Red looked to the bottom of the postcard, expecting to see a personal note to her, as usual. But there was nothing. Stricken, she handed the postcard to Wembley and walked away. Mokey, the only Fraggle who knew Red's secret, followed her.

"Red?" Mokey asked, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Red said dejectedly.

"It doesn't seem like nothing. After all, Red, you should be overjoyed that Gobo's coming back to us." Mokey was puzzled.

"Well, I am," Red replied, "But I'm not so sure he'll be overjoyed to see me."

"Why would you think that? He loves you!" Mokey insisted.

"Maybe he just thinks he does, since he hasn't seen me for so long. Maybe when he comes back, he'll realize that I'm not the ideal version of me he probably has in his head, and he'll change his mind," Red said. "And besides, Mokey, I still don't know if I even love him! This is going to be terrible."

"No, it's not," said Mokey soothingly. "Why, I know Gobo will be ticked pink to see you." She giggled. "Tickled pink, that's funny, since he's already orange…"

"Mokey," Red interrupted. "I know you're trying to make me feel better, but I'm not really in the mood. I think I'd just like to be alone."

Mokey nodded. "Of course, Red. I'll go help Boober do some laundry. But if you want to talk about it later, just let me know, okay?"

"Okay," Red answered, smiling a little at her friend's consideration. "Bye, Mokey."

* * *

When Mokey was gone, Red became engrossed in her thoughts. _He didn't write me a note. What if he changed his mind already? What if he regretted what he said? Well, at least then I wouldn't have to worry about my feelings. It sure will make our friendship awkward, though. _

Red spent a restless night thinking about her doubts. When she woke in the morning, though, she felt more confident.

"Whatever happens, will happen," she told Mokey, "And I'll just have to wait and see."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

For the next few days after receiving the postcards, Red, Wembley, Boober, and Mokey took turns sitting by the Fraggle hole to wait for Gobo or Uncle Matt to arrive. Red took the nighttime shift; she could hardly sleep anyway. No one came during her first three watches, though, and she was beginning to get more and more tired as the days progressed.

On the fourth morning, Red was about to dive into the Fraggle pond when she heard two sets of feet pattering down the tunnel toward the Great Hall. Her heart jumped. _Is it Gobo?_

Wembley appeared first, and cried, "Everybody, listen! Traveling Matt Fraggle has returned to Fraggle Rock!"

From behind him, Uncle Matt emerged, calling his greetings to the cheering Fraggles. Even Red was happy to see him, a first for her.

"Oh, Traveling Matt, sir, won't you tell us about some of your adventures in Outer Space?" Mokey asked eagerly.

"I'd be delighted to, young Fraggle. You see, Outer Space is a very silly place…"

Red climbed down off the diving rock and went for a walk. She had had enough of his crazy stories to last her a lifetime. Somehow, she never considered that Gobo's stories from Outer Space should have seemed equally crazy. She stayed out of the Great Hall until it was time for her to resume her post.

When she reached the Fraggle hole, she noticed Mokey wasn't sitting there as she was supposed to be. "Honestly!" Red huffed. "Just because Uncle Traveling Matt comes back, it doesn't mean we should forget about Gobo. Gobo's far more important than Uncle Matt, anyway."

She sat down and waited with more patience than it seemed possible for her to have. Despite her best efforts to stay alert and ready, Red's continued lack of sleep caught up with her, and she dozed off.

* * *

It was pitch black in Outer Space when Gobo finally reached the workshop. _Boy, I am _so _glad to be back_, he thought as he pushed through Sprocket's doggie door and tiptoed across the floor. _It's too bad it's the middle of the night. Otherwise, I could see everyone right away. _

He admitted to himself, _Of course, the person I want to see the most is Red. Now I'll have to wait until morning_. _That's only a few hours, though, not nearly as bad as three months._

Gobo entered the hole, and almost tripped over something. He looked down and nearly yelled in happy surprise. Red was sound asleep on the floor, looking more peaceful than he had ever seen her awake – except when they said goodbye. She certainly hadn't been energetic then.

Gobo knelt down and whispered very close to her ear, "Wake up, Red." He stood up, waiting to see what she would do.

She whimpered a little bit, and then opened her eyes. For a moment, she stared at him, dumbfounded. He was about to say something else when she sprang up and flung her arms around his neck, hugging him ferociously. Gobo grinned so hard he thought his face would split.

Soon Red's grip threatened to cut off his circulation, and Gobo reluctantly said, "Red, not so tight."

She stepped back, blushing. "Sorry."

He regretted making her self-conscious and said, "Aw, it's all right. You can hug me as hard as you want. I'm so glad to see you."

"I'm glad to see you, too," she answered, but stayed a small distance away from him. She found that she felt shy around him. _You're being silly, _she told herself. _It's Gobo. You've known him forever. Nothing has changed except that he loves you._ Of course, that was the problem. She didn't know how to act around him anymore.

Gobo started to feel a little foolish. She wasn't acting how he imagined she would. He figured she would run up and tell him she loved him, and then they'd be happy together as a Fraggle couple. She looked more terrified than love-stricken to him. He asked her, "Did you get all my postcards?"

"Yes," she replied, but didn't elaborate.

"What did you think about them?" Gobo prodded, his confidence beginning to ooze away.

"They were nice," Red answered with false cheerfulness. "I really liked the one where you told us about those things you called waterparks. That sounds like my idea of a good time!" Red knew what he wanted her to say, but she didn't know how to explain her feelings. She hoped he would drop the subject.

He didn't. "So there's nothing important we should talk about that I wrote in those postcards?" he questioned, starting to get a little angry. _Did she even read my notes to her? I was pretty clear about how I felt, and she seems like she doesn't even care! I can't believe this._

"Gobo," Red pleaded, "I know what you're talking about, but I just don't know what to say! I like you, but I don't know if I love you. I need more time to think about it."

"_More _time?!" Gobo shouted. "You had weeks, months, to think about it. I've been out in Outer Space this whole time thinking I'd come back and we'd be a couple. _Obviously_, I was wrong about you, Red. I don't know why I even bothered to care. Thanks a lot." He began to storm off.

"Hey!" Red said, in a voice so filled with rage that Gobo stopped and looked at her. "You listen to me, Gobo Fraggle. Don't you _dare_ tell me that I didn't think about it. Do you think it was easy being stuck here, wondering if you were okay and if you would ever come back? Do you think it was easy knowing that you loved me and that I was too confused to make up my mind? Every day you were gone, I thought about you. I read every one of your notes to me at least twenty times. Every night when I went to bed, I thought about our goodbye. I thought and I thought and I thought, when what I really needed was for you to be here, so I could spend time with you and be certain of what my heart was telling me."

Gobo's mouth was hanging open from shock. Red continued, "But you weren't here! I waited and worried and tried to be strong because you wanted me to be, and it was horrible! And now you're mad at me, and I don't know what to do anymore!"

The crying she had done in front of Wembley the week before was nothing compared to the deluge of tears that began after her tirade ended. All of the anxieties and fears that she had bottled up came pouring out. Red didn't even care what Gobo thought about her behavior at that moment. She only cared about crying until she had no more tears.

Gobo immediately felt terrible. _The last thing I wanted to do was make her cry_, he thought, his heart aching at the sight. She was on the ground, curled up in a little ball, gasping for breath as she sobbed loudly. Gobo reached down and put a hand on her shoulder.

Red shrugged it off. "Don't touch me!" she screeched.

Gobo knew her, though, and he knew that she was trying to protect herself from more hurt. She wasn't really that angry with him; she was scared and lonely and confused. He sat down next to her and stroked her beautiful red hair, which had fallen out of its pigtails. "I'm sorry, Red," he said, feeling a tear of his own drip onto his jacket. "I'm so, so sorry. I promise I won't bother you about it anymore."

After he said that, she lifted her head from her knees and gazed intently at him with red-rimmed, teary eyes. Without any warning, she took his face in her hands and kissed him long and tenderly. His mind became a complete blank.

When they parted, he was speechless. So was she. But both were smiling as they finally said in unison, "I love you."

THE END


End file.
